“Maybe the best thing we can offer our children however, the ‘real gift’, is time to play together and to use our imaginations.” The QR speaks with Barrowland Ballet about The Gift, their new show for young kids and their families opening at The Studio this December 17th.
Since 2007, Glasgow based Barrowland Ballet have been thrilling audiences from months to decades old, close to home, and around the world. This Season, they will stage not one but two shows, based on the same premise but directed towards different demographics. The Gift, and The Unexpected Gift, focus on the materials we use to wrap presents, and the limitless possibilities inherent to the emptied cardboard box. The former is will open at Capital Theatres’ The Studio this December 17th, and invites those between 2 and 5, to bring their families to the show to hold their coats, whilst the entertainment unfolds. Barrowland’s Artistic Director, Natasha Gilmore, and performers Joanne Pirrie and Rander Martins were kind enough to talk to The QR about the show…
Natasha, where would you say the inspiration for ‘The Gift’ came from?
Natasha: The idea for The Gift came about from watching my children playing so enthusiastically with a big cardboard box. They had been sent a box full of toys and books by a friend during lockdown, and I noticed how quickly the contents was pushed aside to empty up the main excitement – the box itself and its potential for play. It was the source of many adventures until it literally disintegrated. As a parent I know how stressful Christmas is; hoping to get it right for our children, to get them the perfect gifts and avoid any disappointment on Christmas morning. Maybe the best thing we can offer our children however, the ‘real gift’, is time to play together and to use our imaginations. The wrapping paper, the cardboard boxes and ribbons – usually thrown out- offer so many opportunities for play.
What’s your fave part as creator?
Natasha: The virtuosity of the beautiful dance artists I’m lucky enough to work with thrills me every time I watch the show. Rander’s acrobatic jumps and flips are heart stopping!
Inclusivity is regrettably still sometimes viewed as a ‘nice to have’, how did you approach making it central to the DNA of your own show?
Natasha: We have made two distinct productions: ‘The Gift’ for children 18 months to 5 years and their families and a separate show to be performed in January called ‘The Unexpected Gift’ which is a sensory show for children with complex needs aged 7-14 years.
We’re hugely aware of the need for greater arts provision for children with complex needs and particularly for experiences that families can enjoy together. We wished to address the significant barriers to attending theatre events, aiming to make work for children with the most complex needs.
We were thrilled to get the opportunity to adapt our show The Gift in collaboration with Capital Theatres.
The first sensory theatre piece I made for young people with complex needs was an adaptation of our internationally successful show Tiger Tale, supported through funding from Paul Hamyln Foundation. The resulting show Playful Tiger has received international acclaim and it was through this show, and the feedback from audiences, that we really saw the impact and need for this type of work.
When creating The Unexpected Gift, we ensured access and inclusivity was at the heart of the work. We initially collaborated with pupils from Isobel Mair school who cater for young people with a variety of additional needs; seeing what was interesting to them and giving them creative agency in the creation of the work.
Our performers are highly trained to work with young people with complex needs and are able to engage and interact with each young person during the show, with the children taking the lead. We also ensure that both audience members and venues are fully prepared for our show in advance of their visit; we provide visual stories that families can read together, audience packs providing further information on the venue including its layout and accessibility information, and provide venues with advice on how best to fully welcome audiences to their venue. We want their visit to the theatre, sometimes a first for many children, to be fully supported.
Has the show evolved at all since you first conceived it? How so?
Natasha: We always host ‘work in progress’ performances of our work during its creation and the children’s reactions help inform the choices we make. We’ve had a lot of fun in the creation of this show, stretching our imaginations to create weird and wonderful scenes and characters out of the left-over materials from opened gifts. Our firm favourites have made it into the final show. My personal favourite is the ‘dung beetles’ who turn up to tidy everything up!
Does putting on a dance show at Christmas hold any special magic for you?
Natasha: What’s brilliant is that Christmas is a time for families to enjoy theatre together and can often be a child’s first ever experience of that magical world. Barrowland Ballet is an international touring dance company and we’ve shared our shows with audiences across the globe. However, there’s something extra special about performing in Scotland to local audiences. Christmas can be such a wonderful time of year, but we’re aware that for some it can also be one of the hardest too. To bring some light relief, laughter, joy and a bit of Capoeira acrobatic spectacle to audiences at this time of year is really rewarding. And we’re excited to enable the children who experience the most barriers to accessing theatre, to enjoy the fun too at The Unexpected Gift performing in the new year.
What do you hope the children, and their families go away thinking when the show’s over?
Natasha: We hope that families walk out inspired, to play together and to find new, surprising ways of seeing and using ordinary objects; that they find new games of their own when it’s their turn to open gifts.
Were you the kid that loved the boxes and forgot the toys when you were wee?
I kept everything, convinced I would make some amazing works of art out of old Ferrero Rocher boxes. I’m pretty sure I never managed to make much but loved planning the intricate sculptures.
Joanne, and Rander, as performers, what do you love most about the show?
Joanne: As a performer, this show is such a joy. I love that we really get to play and use our imagination. And performing to young audiences is a pleasure… they are very sincere and immediate with their feedback, so hearing laughter or seeing them smile feels great. I love that we can encourage families to play together too in silly and creative ways. Finally, getting to perform with Rander is a real treat too!!
Rander: This show is very special as it was my first experience working in a dance theatre piece. Every day in the creative process I learned so much and just had so much fun. I love performing the show too and seeing the audience’s response… it’s so great to see families enjoying it together. I hope I can inspire the children to move and to use their imaginations. I also love getting to dance with my wife Joanne.
And were you the kids that loved the boxes and forgot the toys when you were wee?
Joanne: As a child at Christmas I was pretty much the opposite of my character in The Gift. I was so careful, precise and neat unwrapping presents, and took my time to look at each gift. My mum would lose patience with me, she was desperate for me to rip everything open as quickly as possible!!!
Rander: Coming from a small town in Brazil, Christmas was quite a different experience. It was very much about celebrating with family, listening to music, dancing and enjoying lots of food, we didn’t really give presents. However, now that I live here, and after doing this show, I think I might have become an adult who loves the boxes and forgets about the gifts inside!
Christmas Theatre 2022 will be one of the most crucial festive seasons in stage history. TheQR is talking to as many of those making theatre in the UK this year as possible, to play a small part in raising their profile, and opportunities for a successful run. Though many of us face a tough winter, financially speaking, a magical night of theatre offers a (warm) escape for a few hours, and if you have the expendable income available will help support the livelihoods of those who keep that magic alive.
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